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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman פ״ז · The chamber pot and the ק״ש

כמה צריך להרחיק מגרף של רעי — how far to distance during the ק״ש from a גרף של רעי (chamber pot) and an עביט של מי רגלים (urine vessel): of חרס or עץ, one distances as from excrement even when emptied; of מתכת, זכוכית or חרס מצופה, permitted if well washed; upturning or covering it
סימן פ״ז · ג׳ סעיפים
כמה צריך להרחיק בשעת קריאת שמע מגרף של רעי
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches how far to distance during the ק״ש from a גרף של רעי (chamber pot for excrement) and an עביט של מי רגלים (urine vessel). Of חרס (earthenware) or עץ (wood) — one distances כמו מצואה, even if one poured water into them (אפי׳ הטיל בהם מים), since they are designated for that use; of מתכת, זכוכית or חרס מצופה — permitted if well washed; upturning it on its opening (כפאו על פיו) does not help, but covering it with a vessel (כפה עליהם כלי) makes the whole as if buried. Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ג׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: The chamber pot and the ק״ש — גרף של רעי, עביט של מי רגלים, חרס ועץ, מתכת וזכוכית, כפייה
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן פ״ז · ג׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Our Sages taught (ברכות כ״ה:): גרף של רעי ועביט של מי רגלים אסור לקרות קריאת שמע כנגדן — it is forbidden to read the ק״ש facing a pot used for excrement (גרף) and a vessel used for urine (עביט). The siman clarifies the measure of this distancing: according to the material of the vessel, and whether it is rinsed, upturned or covered. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ג׳ seifim — חרס ועץ / מתכת וזכוכית (seif 1), כפאו על פיו (seif 2), the distancing and כפה עליהם כלי (seif 3)
1. Practical case — the material of the vessel: earthenware/wood (as excrement) or metal/glass (rinsed)
2. Practical case — upturning or covering: כפאו על פיו (forbidden) vs כפה עליהם כלי (as buried)
3. Practical case — reading in a room where a vessel stands: the distance כשיעור סימן ע״ט
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. How far to distance from a chamber pot — the ג׳ seifim

גְּרָף שֶׁל רְעִי וְעָבִיט שֶׁל מֵי רַגְלַיִם — the pot for excrement and the vessel for urine — the גרף is the vessel designated for excrement, the עביט the one designated for urine. Since they are מיוחדים לכך (devoted to that use), they are treated as the excrement itself — כמו מצואה — even when emptied. Everything then depends on the material (earthenware and wood, which absorb, versus metal, glass and coated ware, which do not), and on what one does with it (rinsing, upturning, covering).

Seif 1 — חרס ועץ versus מתכת וזכוכית: the material

גרף של רעי ועביט של מי רגלים של חרס או של עץ צריך להרחיק מהם כמו מצואה, אפי׳ הטיל בהם מים; אבל אם הן של מתכת או של זכוכית או של חרס מצופה מותר אם הם רחוצים יפה.
Seif 1: a גרף של רעי and an עביט של מי רגלים of earthenware (חרס) or wood (עץ) — one must distance from them as from excrement (כמו מצואה), even if one poured water into them (אפי׳ הטיל בהם מים); but if they are of metal (מתכת), glass (זכוכית) or coated earthenware (חרס מצופה), it is permitted if they are well washed (אם הם רחוצים יפה).
Two parameters. First, the designation: the vessel is designated for excrement, so it remains "as excrement" even emptied and rinsed — pouring water in does nothing (unlike urine spilled on the ground, which can be nullified with water). Second, the material: bare earthenware (חרס) and wood (עץ) absorb the filth and stay repugnant; but metal, glass and coated ware do not absorb — well washed, one may read facing them.

Seif 2 — כפאו על פיו: upturning the vessel itself

גרף ועביט של חרס או של עץ שכפאו על פיו — יש מתירים ויש אוסרין, והלכה כדברי האוסרים.
Seif 2: a גרף ועביט of earthenware or wood that one upturned on its opening (שכפאו על פיו) — there are those who permit (יש מתירים) and those who forbid (יש אוסרין), and the halakhah follows those who forbid (הלכה כדברי האוסרים).
Upturning the vessel itself on its opening, thinking to "hide" the filth thereby, does not help: the filth is absorbed in the wall, and the outside of the vessel is like its inside. On this point there is a מחלוקת (those who permit / those who forbid), and we rule like the stringent view (הלכה כדברי האוסרים).

Seif 3 — the distancing and כפה עליהם כלי

מותר לקרות קריאת שמע בבית שיש בו צואה ומי רגלים או גרף ועביט כיון שהרחיק מהם כשיעור שנתבאר בסימן ע״ט; וכן אם כפה עליהם כלי אף על פי שהם עמו בבית הרי אלו כקבורים ומותר לקרות כנגדן.
Seif 3: it is permitted to read the ק״ש in a house in which there is excrement and urine, or a גרף ועביט, once one has distanced from them the measure clarified in siman ע״ט (כשיעור שנתבאר בסימן ע״ט); and likewise, if one has covered them with a vessel (כפה עליהם כלי), even though they are with him in the house, they are as if buried (הרי אלו כקבורים) and it is permitted to read facing them.
Two ways when the source of impurity is in the room. Either the distancing: one reads once one has moved away the measure of siman ע״ט (the distance required for excrement). Or covering with another vessel (כפה עליהם כלי): unlike upturning the vessel itself (seif 2), covering with another utensil makes the whole כקבורים, as if buried, and one may read even in the same room.
The siman in one sentence: a גרף של רעי and an עביט של מי רגלים of חרס or עץ — one distances כמו מצואה even when emptied (אפי׳ הטיל בהם מים); of מתכת, זכוכית or חרס מצופה — permitted well washed; upturning them on their opening (כפאו על פיו) does not help (הלכה כאוסרין); but distancing כשיעור סימן ע״ט or covering them with a vessel (כפה עליהם כלי) makes the whole כקבורים and permits reading facing them.

Practical cases

Case 1 — The material of the vessel

Situation: a vessel served as a pot for excrement or a vessel for urine, and was emptied. May one read the ק״ש beside it?
Conduct: it all depends on the material. Of bare earthenware (חרס) or wood (עץ) — no: one distances as from excrement even emptied and rinsed, since it is designated for that use. Of metal, glass or coated ware — yes, if it is well washed (and without odor). For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Upturning or covering the vessel

Situation: one wishes to "neutralize" a full earthenware pot. Is it enough to upturn it on its opening?
Conduct: upturning the pot itself on its opening (כפאו על פיו) does not help — the halakhah follows the stringent view (הלכה כדברי האוסרים). But covering the whole with another vessel (כפה עליהם כלי) makes the source of impurity כקבורים, as if buried, and one may read even in the same room. For details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — Reading in a room where a vessel stands

Situation: there is in the room excrement, urine or a גרף ועביט. May one read the ק״ש there?
Conduct: yes, provided one has distanced the measure of siman ע״ט (the distance required for excrement) — one does not need the whole room to be "pure." Another solution: cover the source with a vessel, which makes it as if buried. For borderline cases (odor, exact distance), one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why does a גרף or an עביט remain "as excrement" even when emptied and rinsed (seif 1)?
  2. What is the difference between חרס/עץ and מתכת/זכוכית/מצופה, and why (seif 1)?
  3. Why does upturning the vessel on its opening (כפאו על פיו) not help (seif 2)?
  4. What are the two ways to read in a room where the source of impurity stands (seif 3)?
  5. What is the difference between upturning the vessel itself and covering it with another vessel?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 88 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן פ״ז · ג׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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